The Christian place of vocation has been given its famous Protestant explication by Martin Luther. But not to be outdone, Karl Barth, has his own offering on the subject. Here he is writing on, in a small print excursus, what ultimately matters as the Christian lives coram Deo (before God).
As an instructive example, we may cite the verdict of August Bebel (Die Frau und der Sozialismus, ed. 1913, 1,409 f.): βStrictly speaking, the worker who drains sewers to protect humanity from unhealthy miasmas is a very useful member of society, whereas the professor who teaches falsified history in the interests of the ruling class, or the theologian who seeks to befog the brain with supernatural, transcendental doctrines, is an extremely harmful individual.β We must be careful not to be guilty of what is here stated to be the activity of theologians, and if we cannot do better than this we should make all haste to become good drainers of sewers. Similarly, if the professor of history cannot do better than teach history which is falsified in the interests of a class, to the sewers with him also![1]
With reference to the theologians, per Barth, to the sewer with them if all they have to offer the church, the people of God, is speculative metaphysical non-sense that has no contact with the concrete reality of God for us in the Man from Nazareth, Jesus Christ.
Part of my aim through my ongoing writings is to bring truly theological theology to the people of God. To let them know that to be a theologian is to be a worshipper of the triune God, as God has Self-revealed and explained Himself to us in Jesus Christ. That when we see Christ, we see the Father. And that it is from this filial kerygmatic point of contact that the Christian can genuinely know and speak God; indeed, from the heart of God for us, in Jesus Christ. If the Christian desires to know God ever deeper, and if they attempt to read the theologians in this pursuit, and all they find is a notion of Godness that is indeed constructed on a speculative, discursive model of human and philosophical reasoning, then to the sewer with such theologians; they have indeed failed their calling to edify the body of Christ.
As far as vocation goes, in general, the Christian has ultimate purpose in all they say and do, insofar that they bear witness to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the triune God. And this holds true whether someone is a plumber, or the head of the theology department at the most prestigious divinity school in the land.
[1] Karl Barth,Β Church Dogmatics III/4 Β§55 [534] The Doctrine of Creation: Study EditionΒ (London: T&T Clark, 2010), 202.
You certainly did not waste words in your treatment of this urgent topic. Thank you. You didnβt get bogged down in details we donβt need to know about. Flush with necessary insight.
The aroma of death to death only among those who are perishing.
And yes, some of the theological halls need a good clean out! π
Amen to that! As as plumber myself (Chem. Eng. actually) I’ve always been convinced that in Christ one’s vocation is to serve, by serving one’s world which in general is the one closest to hand.Said to a notable professor and philosopher of Science: “Did you ever think of going into full time Christian work?” To which he replied: “Oh I already am.. aren’t you”Titles and offices such as Pastor/Priest/Minister/Missionary are antithetical and harmful to the work of Christ and the promotion of his Kingdom.
Amen to that! As as plumber myself (Chem. Eng. actually) I’ve always been convinced that in Christ one’s vocation is to serve, by serving one’s world which in general is the one closest to hand.Said to a notable professor and philosopher of Science: “Did you ever think of going into full time Christian work?” To which he replied: “Oh I already am.. aren’t you”Titles and offices such as Pastor/Priest/Minister/Missionary are antithetical and harmful to the work of Christ and the promotion of his Kingdom.
ββ¦to be a theologian is to be a worshipper of the triune God, as God has Self-revealed and explained Himself to us in Jesus Christβ¦ when we see Christ, we see the Father. Andβ¦ it is from this filial kerygmatic point of contact that the Christian can genuinely know and speak God; indeed, from the heart of God for us, in Jesus Christ.β
Emet!β¦ and amen! Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
@Trevor, thank you! And your pun was not lost on me LOL. “Flush”
@Quistian, amen! That is exactly how I view these things. I consider all of the Christian life, mine included, to be the ministry of Christ. I reject all of these formal delineations, even if there are distinguishable offices within and for the body of Christ (and for the world).
Amen, Richard!
π
the other puns floating amid the comment: βwaste, treatment, bogged downββ¦ were possibly difficult to detect due to my Australian accent.π€·π½ββοΈπ
@Trevor, LOL. I think because of how sanctified I am it is hard for me to have my mind in the sewer at that level. So, not your accent, but my sanctification kept me from seeing your scatological genius. LOL
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